Darkpop: Does What it Says on the Lid

Months later and I'm still listening to Darkpop's "Golden Lillies + Mr Smith." It's on heavy rotation on my iPod despite the fact that in general, I listen to more male than female vocals. It feels so real and so raw, yet so melodically soothing at the same time. It's one of those rare albums I am literally fanatical about, to a zealous degree. I do my best to force everyone I know to listen to it and although intellectually I know everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I hate it if someone isn't immediately impressed. Hi, my name is Ulla and apparently I'm a music fascist.

Michelle Breeze has a sublime voice - hopefully something that my fellow Sarf Efricans remember from Fetish days. What I love even more about Darkpop though, is the lyrics. My favourite song is still "40 hours," where, as a working woman in London, she sings that she can't believe they want, "40 hours and not my voice." Me neither. "Night Bus" reminds me of some very sad, strange and surreal journeys - and not just the ones I spent on London's night buses, back in the proverbial day. Her pure voice rises above the discord-grunge of "Kill This Love" and I defy anyone not to identify with that song. I get a sense of alienation from the album; a tale of somebody living in a foreign place, of an artist living at disparate levels. "Every day I become something else for someone ..." - now that's a statement I reckon most of us can relate to. "Dreams are heavy sometimes" haunts me so much I'd have it tattooed if I could afford it.

It's the kind of album to lose yourself in and not care about being found again. Michelle on lead and backing vocals is also a very good idea indeed, It's like being surrounded by something celestial and immensely soothing.

She must have metaphorical balls of titanium to be able to move from magazine covers here, to work in a shop in London and start all over again. The music hasn't suffered at all. If anything, it's soaring now.

You can hear Darkpop at their website and on Facebook - where you can also download "Fool" as a free mp3. "Wash away my dirty mind ..." ahhh ... please love it.